Growing Pains | Changes Coming in 2017

Let me start off by saying I don’t really have anything practical to share in this post. No decorating ideas, or furniture painting tips, or antique finds.

In a way, this is an “old school” post–more like the posts I wrote back when I first started this blog, almost four years ago.

So this post is written more for my regular readers, as a way of checking in and inviting you back into my little world.

I know I haven’t been doing much of that lately–it’s been all-business for a while at LostandFoundDecor.com. There is definitely a place though for both types of posts, practical and not. Today I want to spend some time in the non-practical blog world.

Just A Pregnant Girl With An Opportunity

Five years ago I was six-months pregnant with my third son, when a small booth spot opened up at my favorite local antique mall.

Throwing caution to the wind, I jumped in and started Lost & Found–my small business focused on reselling vintage decorative finds.

I realize that may seem like a crazy thing to do, but I had been on the waiting list to have a spot at this mall for a loooong time, and it was a now-or-never type of thing.

My husband was on board, and I was excited about trying out another side gig (I had many different ones over the previous years).

About a year later, I decided to add the blog into the mix, and so LostandFoundDecor.com was born.

I had no idea blogging would turn into one of the most demanding parts of my business! I thought it would just be a fun way to share pictures and write about the cool things I was finding at flea markets and estate sales.

But then that darn entrepreneurial bug hit, and I learned that there was potential for the blog itself to earn some income.

I’ve since spent the past 4 years trying to learn what I can about the very complicated business of blogging and grow LostandFoundDecor into a “big” blog (whatever that means?), all the while still digging up furniture and treasures to makeover and sell.

I was painting a lot of furniture at that point to sell in my booth space, so retailing a line of paint seemed like a natural fit.

And honestly, it’s been one of the best choices I’ve made so far in my business.

While becoming a Fusion merchant was a great fit for me, it was also the thing that took Lost & Found from hobby-status to business-status . . . and I’ve been reeling ever since!

It’s amazing how over these past two years I’ve morphed almost completely into “The Paint Lady,” and how 90% of what I now sell and do revolves around Fusion Mineral Paint.

I realize for those of you who have been with me from the beginning, you may miss some of the other content I used to share in old Lost & Found posts. I get that not everybody is as super-committed to painting furniture as I am 🙂

It’s been a difficult transition for me also, and that’s part of why I am writing this post today.

Realizing Something Needed to Change

Starting back at the beginning of last summer, I began to feel like no matter how hard I was working, I couldn’t keep up.

My wheels seemed to be spinning in the mud and I was feeling like a failure in several of areas of my life.

I knew I needed to make some adjustments to how I was running Lost & Found and to the way I was running my life, but I just wasn’t sure what those should be.

Adding to that work/life angst were some health problems that began in April and have lingered until now.

After celebrating my anniversary by spending a night out with my husband at an amateur oil painting class, I woke up unable to move in my bed.

My back, neck and shoulder muscles were seized and I was in severe pain. That happened almost every night for 2 weeks, as well as randomly throughout the day when I did certain tasks.

I ended up spending the entire summer and fall pursuing conservative treatment for whatever had thrown my back out of whack.

Several massage sessions, dozens of heat/ice pad rest days, and six months of chiropractic care left me feeling a little better, but still not normal.

My work and home life were suffering greatly.

I stopped exercising and playing outside with my kids, because any sort of activity would make me hurt. I also cut way back on the furniture I was redoing, which caused me to feel even more behind in my business.

By November I was falling apart–the toll of constant pain had really set in.

Along with the back issues, I also developed a strange and sudden skin rash that came up in various places.

I was in and out of the dermatologist office, trying this cream and that cream, with not much luck. This wasn’t a life threatening issue, but it was an annoying one.

And laid on top of the back problems, it just made me mad.

Lastly, I began to battle again with an old adversary of mine–anxiety.

I have dealt with anxiety since I was in high school, but haven’t had many acute issues with it since the early days of my marriage.

But once the fall hit, it was back in full force, and I found myself suffering from several major panic attacks that would leave me sidelined for days.

At one point in the midst of all of this, my dear friend said “Melanie, do you think you could be overextended? That maybe stress is causing all of this?”

Oh, how I knew she was right!!

But what I didn’t know was how to fix it–how do I become less stressed when I can’t manage my family life and my work life?

It was time to get serious about making some big changes. I had to determine what it really was I wanted to do with Lost & Found, and how that would fit into the life I wanted to live with my family.

I knew that would mean some things would have to go . . . but I was hopeful that it also would mean more meaningful, life-giving work could flourish in its place.

So what are the changes?

Blog Changes

Well, first I am changing the structure of LostandFoundDecor.com to be more shop/business focused and less blog focused.

You may have seen some of the initial changes if you’ve visited my homepage lately. Those changes are one step in the new direction I am heading.

Don’t worry though!! All of my blog posts are still there, and more will come!

It’s just that they are being reorganized into more of a resource library than a blog-traffic site.

My goal has shifted from creating page views for income to creating tools and information to help my customers.

My favorite part of blogging is taking photos and writing posts. What I don’t love about blogging is the rat race of trying to “get into” the circles of influence by pitching brands and looking to be part of the big blog teams.

And without a strong networking sense, I don’t think bloggers these days can succeed. The field is too crowded to just “be discovered;” you have to sell and work your way in.

Instead, I have learned that I need to spend my personal energy less on blog network relationships and more on helping my customers.

I sell a lot of Fusion Mineral Paint on this site, and I want to provide the best customer service I can to the wonderful people who choose to shop with me.

With only so much time and energy in the day, I’ve decided to give to my customers what I have, and less to the blog world.

So whether you’re shopping for paint, downloading my ebook Furniture Flipper, or looking for other vintage decorating ideas and inspiration, I am going to do my best to serve and help you.

Booth Changes

I’ve also been working to shift my antique mall booth space into a mostly paint space. Going over my entire sales record over the last 2 years, over 75% of what I sell in my antique booth space

Going over my entire sales record over the last 2 years, over 75% of what I sell in my antique booth space is paint, so it makes business sense to give that product more and more square footage,

Besides making business sense, it also makes sense for my time. Towards the end of last year, I never seemed to have the time I used to have to go dig through flea markets and estate sales, so my decor inventory became stagnant–which is a no-no in the antique booth world.

Towards the end of last year, I never seemed to have the time I used to have to go dig through flea markets and estate sales, so my decor inventory became stagnant–which is a no-no in the antique booth world.

You haveto keep fresh inventory flowing through your space or you lose shoppers.

Again, I was feeling like a failure as a dealer and wondering why I couldn’t make that aspect of my business work anymore–and that’s when I had a lightbulb moment.

As I was doing my end of the year tax work, I calculated that from 2015 to 2016, I had a 580% growth in the amount of paint I sell online via this site.

That is insane from a business standpoint!

Along with that sales growth though comes growth in management and time spent processing and shipping orders. That’s where my time went!! It had been eaten up in little pockets by admin work and shipping details.

The reality is there are only so many hours in the day. Time is not an endless resource.

If you give one thing more time in your day, that by default means something else gets less. Selling paint online was getting my time, and so my booth inventory suffered.

So my plan is now this: use my booth space to be mainly a showcase for Fusion and for my painted furniture pieces, accented by a finely curated inventory of vintage finds.

I still plan on hunting the flea markets on occasion, and when I see something amazing, I will buy it and bring it into my space. But I’m not going to be hunting on the scale I was before, 2016, it’s just not possible.

Help Changes

Another change is that I am looking to hire help! Lost & Found isn’t just my little hobby anymore, it’s a business. And it does take a village! Or at least one other person 🙂

It’s hard handing over some of the reigns of what I do to someone else, but it’s a necessary step for me. My hope is that I can find someone to help with all of those management and admin tasks that have been eating my time, so that I can focus more on the creative parts of my business–painting furniture, taking photos, writing posts, etc.

My hope is that I can find someone to help with all of those management and admin tasks that have been eating my time, so that I can focus more on the creative parts of my business–painting furniture, taking photos, writing posts, etc.

Health Changes

Thankfully two of my three health issues have begun to resolve, but not without some significant effort to change some of my habits.

I do think the stress of the past year has had direct effect on my skin and anxiety issues, so I have been working on making some changes in how I manage and deal with my stress and emotional health. As well as trying to better my eating habits and make sure I’m treating my body well.

Unfortunately, the issue with my back and neck hasn’t resolved. In fact, I learned recently that it was worse than what I was anticipating.

In late November I decided to go see an orthopedic doctor after reaching a plateu in improvement with the chiropractor.

He sent me for an MRI, which showed I have a herniated disc in my neck which has happened to flatten out my spinal cord in a certain area–yikes!

He told me additional physical therapy could help ease some more of my pain, but nothing short of surgery could ease the pressure on my spinal cord and provide me with stability and long-term health.

So at some point in the near future, I will be having surgery to replace that disc with an implant. I don’t know exactly when, because I’m in the process of awaiting insurance approval (yuck).

But when it comes, it will mean 1-2 weeks of me not doing much of anything, and 3 months of little–if any–furniture work.

Initially, the recommendation of surgery sent me for a bit of a loop, but I’ve since wrapped my head around it and am grateful for a procedure that can help fix my pain and get me stable again.

When I get a date set, I will be sure to let you all know and would appreciate your prayers for a successful surgery.

Attitude Changes

These are the hardest changes to make. I can’t just change the things around me, I also have to change some of the things inside of me.

I have been crippled by comparison over the years. Always asking, “Why can’t my blog be as good as that one?” or “Why don’t I sell as many furniture pieces as that dealer?”

Lately, the questions have been more “Why can’t I have my own retail space like the other Fusion merchants?” and “Why don’t I get good workshop attendance like they do?”

You can’t successfully create when you are constantly battling against yourself.

I have to stop trying to make Lost & Found into what it looks like it should be in comparison to the success of others around me, and instead, let it become what fits with me and my gifts and talents.

I’m not a professional blogger, or a brick-and-mortar retail shop owner, or a full-time furniture flipper.

I am a strange mix of bits and pieces of all 3 of those things, which means my business is going to look different than anyone else’s.

I need to make my own goals and judge my success by my own standards, rather than the standards of someone else’s business.

So those are my plans.

To all of you who have been along on this ride with me from the beginning, I felt the need to share these things with you.

Please hear me say how appreciative I am of you and how humbled I am by your interest in my little part of the world.

To those of you who are joining in as Fusion customers and know little about my business past, I hope we can get to know each other better!

And I want you to know that I care about your projects as much as I care about my own. I hope together we can create some beautiful spaces.

44 Comments

Melanie, thanks for the details on how you are doing. I’m so sorry that you’ve been dealing with medical issues and hope things work out speedily. Your new plans sound solid. Look at you, being a successful entrepreneur!

Melanie
on January 23, 2017 at 9:05 am

Haha, yes Ann Marie, I often chuckle at how well this whole thing has gone! Thank you for your kind words and support 🙂

Joanne
on January 20, 2017 at 6:17 pm

You got this, girl! take care of yourself and everything else will fall into place.

Thank you for sharing with so much honesty. I’m not suffering from health problems, and my little antique booth and small business are just getting off the ground, but I really needed to hear what you shared today.

Melanie
on January 23, 2017 at 9:07 am

I’m so glad you found it helpful! That’s always my heart when I share more personal things– assuming someone one out there may be able to relate and it might be of benefit or encouragement to them. All the best wishes for your booth!

Congratulations Melanie, sounds like you’ve completely come to terms with how things should be for you and your family. I’m sure now that you won’t be fighting against yourself with the comparison issues your business will actually grow and flourish even more! Just remember, there are others out there who are thinking “why can’t my furniture turn out as good as Melanie’s” ;o)

I’m looking forward to seeing what the future holds for you and good luck with that surgery, you’ll be up and running again before you know it! Take the time that you need to heal and just relax… maybe do some more planning for your business. Do you like to doodle/journal? If so maybe while you are mending you can doodle and journal your new plans!

Tania

Melanie
on January 23, 2017 at 9:08 am

Thank you Tania, those are great thoughts and ideas. And honestly, part of me is really excited about the idea of “forced down time” 🙂 I appreciate your encouragement!

dbmaguire
on January 21, 2017 at 10:27 am

I had a fusion a couple of years ago. It was transforming. I realized I had lived with the pain for many years and suddenly felt 20 years younger….with more energy too. Pain is exhausting. I have no doubt your surgery will be a great success. My only advice is, after surgery you’ll feel great after a week or two, but don’t over do it! You’ll be healing for the next year so go easy on your body, take afternoon baths, yoga instead of furniture moving, and read to the kids instead of teaching them tennis now. Sending you love and prayers.

Melanie
on January 23, 2017 at 9:09 am

Thank you for sharing your experience! So glad you hear you are healing well. I actually qualify for a disc replacement rather than a fusion, and according to my doctor my healing should be relatively quick and I should gain 100% capacity again. Hoping that’s the case 🙂 Appreciate the reminder though to take it slow and give your body time to heal–I can tell I’m getting older, things to heal up quite as fast as they used to!

Jackie B
on January 21, 2017 at 10:33 am

Oh Melanie, I am sorry you are going through all the health issues. I have had a wild 2016 with my husband having two surgeries for cancer and losing two close family members to cancer during this time. I battled several rounds of shingles which were stress related and I agree that skin problems are NO fun!!! Bless you my friend! I am on the other side of the healing process and want you to know there is sunshine ahead. Keep your chin up girl, you are one of my favorite bloggers because you are real.

Melanie
on January 23, 2017 at 9:10 am

Oh my Jackie, that does sound like a tough year. My dad had shingles a few years back and it was some of the worst pain he has experienced. I am so sorry! Thankful you are on the other side now and hope your year continues to be on the up and up as well.

June
on January 21, 2017 at 11:14 am

Wow, I’m so sorry you are going thru all those health issues, but I’m glad you have a plan to resolve them. A plan always relieves my stress. Plus never never never compare yourself to anyone or anything. No one can live up to all those comparisons and it wears on your self confidence at a time when you are already dealing with physical issues.

I think you do a great job. I loved your shop and the furniture pieces on your blog, and I read alot of blogs.

One last thing, put God first, start with the 10 commandments, (the one about envy). Think about eternity and think about your grandchildren teach your children to love the Lord and be a good role model for their eternity. God loves you and is waiting to hear from you.

End of sermon, lol xo june

Melanie
on January 23, 2017 at 9:12 am

Thank you June, wise words! Yes, I have tried to remind myself to practice gratitude first, and to remember that God is sovereign over how He deals out his giftings and talents to everyone. They are for His use and glory, not for our own 🙂 Thanks for your kind words!

I’ve just found your blog and site here within the last week and I am lovin it. I’m just starting my furniture painting business but first am concentrating on my own home.
I wanted to share with you something that worked for me when I had three herniated disc in my lower back. Two were pinching my spinal cord and one was pinching a nerve. And whoaaaa mama, that one pinching my nerve was horrendous. I would beg my husband to cut off my leg. Anyhoo after months of physical therapy, chiropractic visits, narcotics and three steroid injections my only hope was surgery. When I heard those words “back surgery” I told th surgeon no way! He got up without a word and walked out of room. Lol. I decided to try DRX which was done by a chiropractor and over the course of twenty visits it slowly pulled apart the herniated disc and took the pressure off the nerves and spinal column. That was five years ago. Today my pain level is mostly a zero to maybe a half coming down from a nine every day for a year. I also use a yoga swing and hang upside down occasionally when I feel a little of something something. Just something for you to check out. Whatever road you choose, I send many many blessings to you.

Melanie
on January 23, 2017 at 9:13 am

Thank you Bonnie! I appreciate the information, and am so glad to hear that you have experienced some real healing! And all the best to you and your furniture business 🙂

Sherry Stuifbergen
on January 21, 2017 at 11:43 am

Missed you! Will keep Fusion Paint in mind for “serious” paint jobs, from your early posts of doing your kitchen cabinets. I KNOW what you mean by “self comparison” and how it can “eat at you” and give self-doubt….let alone the daily pain you must suffer. Let your goals and family “sift” down, (most important) get yourself “healed.” Takes alot of courage to self-introspect and realize where you need to focus. God Bless You. Still enjoy your blog, your self expression. When you write, I am “right with you” in your blog.

Melanie
on January 23, 2017 at 9:14 am

Thank you Sherry! I so appreciate your kind words and your presence hear as a regular reader.

Take care of your health first, Melanie and everything else will fall in place. There is nothing worse than being in constant pain. It is a struggle for many of us in finding the right balance with online presence and doing the actual creative work too, but in the end we each have to step back and see what works best for us. Your new ideas sound great and hope it will work out for you.

Melanie
on January 23, 2017 at 9:15 am

That is so true Mary! I would love to hear your thoughts sometime on how you manage those things. Appreciate so much your encouraging words.

I am so thrilled that you’ve experienced such wonderful growth with your paint business. I am saddened beyond words to hear of your health issues. You are a rare and precious treasure. My prayer for you is continued healing and blessings as you move forward. I’m still your biggest fan! And forever a cheerleader!! Looking forward to hearing about your great 2017. All the best, Susie

Melanie
on January 23, 2017 at 9:15 am

Thanks Susie 🙂 I so appreciate it. Looking forward so much to a hear of feeling better!

Blessings to you and your family. I hope that the surgery goes well. Blogging is definitely a rat race. I think you have made the right decision and your future is bright. I know where I will be getting my paint!

Melanie
on January 23, 2017 at 9:16 am

Thank you Rachel! And yes, my shop is always open 🙂

Meg Blevins
on January 21, 2017 at 1:51 pm

You remind me of myself about 20 years ago. It felt like the entire world was collapsing around me – poor health, unclear about my job or my future, young children who needed more of me than I felt I even had… So, I can tell you this. You are going to make it through. Keep fighting the negative that tries to eat you up. It has no place in your life. Do it now, so you don’t waste the next 20 years of your life. And, KNOW that good things are coming!!

Love and hugs to you!!
Meg

Melanie
on January 23, 2017 at 9:17 am

Thank you Meg! It is so hard to live in the present, isn’t it? It’s so much easier to wish for other or future things, the grass that “seems” greener. Thank you for your encouraging, wise words.

Linda Dillard
on January 21, 2017 at 2:42 pm

Melanie, it’s been a pleasure seeing your business grow. Your plan for the future sounds very well thought out & smart! Take care of yourself first, let the rest fall into place. It was sure good to see you the other day! Sending hugs! Linda

Melanie
on January 23, 2017 at 9:17 am

Thank you Linda! You are such a delight and always so great to be around. See you again soon!

Everything, it seems, has a cost. I subscribe to a lot of blogs, and, over the past 2 years have watched as one after another blogger hits the wall. Seems they all get to this crazy point and get totally overwhelmed, wondering how can I get better ‘control’ of this? Success has it’s price, I guess. I’m sure things will be much better once you’ve found that person to work for you, and the load is shared.

It’s always such a delight reading your content, and FB posts, but remember you have no real responsibility to your readers, but you do to yourself and family. Readers will move on, with or without you. Your family is there for keeps. Do what’s right for you.

Wishing you lots of good wishes for a better 2017 and beyond.
Elisabeth.

Melanie
on January 23, 2017 at 9:19 am

Thank you Elisabeth! Yes, I agree, success does come at a cost. I have told myself many times to be careful what I wish for! I can’t imagine running at the keeping up the speed some of the bloggers around me, but then everybody has a different capacity. Learning most of all to just be comfortable with who I am and what I can do, and let everything else fall into place. Thanks so much for being a reader and for being so faithful to drop in and say hi.

Juli Simpson
on January 21, 2017 at 4:06 pm

Thank you Melanie for your honesty. I have had back issues from time to time and I can certainly understand. You are in my prayers as you travel this rocky road. Just remember”this too shall pass”. God wants what is best for you even more than you want for yourself. Blessings Juli

Melanie
on January 23, 2017 at 9:20 am

Thank you Juli. That is a phrase my mom, grandmother, and great-grandmother have repeated to us women down through the generations many, many times. And it is true! I appreciate you stopping in 🙂

Fran
on January 21, 2017 at 8:38 pm

Melanie, I’m not in the habit of leaving messages on blog posts, but I felt compelled to do so today. I just wanted you to know how much I’ve enjoyed reading your posts and will continue to do so. I’m slowly getting the courage to start refinishing/repurposing furniture and hope to start when I retire in a few months. On the meantime, I will pray for your healing and strength, and wisdom for your medical professionals. Wishing you many blessings in 2017!

Melanie
on January 23, 2017 at 9:21 am

Thank you Fran! And way to go on stepping out and trying something new! I would love to see some pictures of something you work on when that time comes. I appreciate you taking the time to comment 🙂

Karen
on January 22, 2017 at 7:59 am

Thanks for the update on your status. Take care of yourself first, your health is way more important than anything else. My husband had back surgery in Nov. & I can tell you first hand it’s something that takes a little time to get your head around. He is doing much better now, but it’s not an overnight healing process. It takes time to get back to your old self. Just hang in there.

Melanie
on January 23, 2017 at 9:22 am

I am so glad he is doing well Karen! Thankfully, my surgery is on the “minimally invasive” side of things, but I’m sure–like anything–there is still a healing process. Great reminder! Thank you for sharing.

Hello Melanie!
I always enjoy your blog and today was no different. I’m so sorry you are struggling with your health but it sounds like you are on the right track with all the changes you plan to make. The most important part of all of this is you and your family. My thoughts are with you!

I was planning to go to McKinney today to get some paint from your darling booth when this popped up.

Thank you for all the help you have given me! If I can help you in any way, remember I’m right here in Allen!!
The very best of everything to you and your family!

Jan

Melanie
on January 23, 2017 at 9:23 am

Hi Jan! Thank you so much, that is so very kind to offer your help 🙂 Did you get some paint? I hope you’re having fun working on your projects 🙂

Hi Melanie – thank you for sharing your situation. You are the reason I tried Fusion paint, as I had never heard of it until I came across your blog. As you’ve figured out, stress causes all kinds of health issues, and you’re making good decisions now on how to heal. I have a degenerative disk in my neck, which caused me excruciating pain in 2002. It took a year of physiotherapy to decrease the pain, and now I try to go regularly for massage therapy ( I still experience some kind of pain daily). I too was told by 2 specialists that surgery may be required, but I continued with conventional methods( physio/massage) and so far, I can control the pain. You are on the right track, and I believe that soon you will see great improvement to your health. My thoughts are with you and I look forward to following your new direction!
Lisa

Melanie
on January 23, 2017 at 9:25 am

Hi Lisa! Yes, I remember your name from my customer list. So thankful for your being a customer, and so sorry you have had back pain too! It really stinks. My pain level really has decreased a good bit, and I’m hoping I can get back to being stable and secure again with this procedure. I appreciate so much your kind words 🙂

Sue Sikorski
on February 3, 2017 at 1:17 am

Hi Melanie. What a wonderful blog post! It’s interesting to see that you have some of the same struggles as I do as a small business owner. Time is always an issue, isn’t it and finding a balance is difficult. This blog post was so inspiring. Keep on doing what you are doing! I am sad that you are having some health issues and I wish you all the best. Take care kiddo!

Melanie
on February 3, 2017 at 8:49 am

Thank you Sue 🙂 I appreciate you taking the time to read so much. And yes, it can be quite challenging finding time to fill all the roles we have.

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